Effects of Dietary Mannan-Oligosaccharides and Phytase Supplementation Alone or in Combination on Growth Performance, Serum Metabolites, Cecal Microbiota Activity and Intestinal Morphology in Broiler Chickens

This study evaluated the effect of a combination of mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) and microbial phytase (MP) on growth performance, some blood biochemical metabolites, intestinal morphology and cecal microbial population of ROSS 308 broiler chickens from d 0 to 35 of age. A total of 200 one-dayold broiler chickens (mixed sex) were randomly distributed into four treatments with five replicates and 10 birds per each. The dietary treatments included a basal diet, the basal diet supplemented with MOS (as 2 g/kg of diet), MP (as 100 g/t Phyzyme XP 5000), and the combination of MOS and MP (MOS+MP). Supplementation of MOS+MP improved feed conversion ratio and body weight gain of broilers compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Dietary treatments had no significant effect on carcass traits. In the intestinal morphometric indices, villus length was greater in the birds which received MP individually or in combination with MOS (P < 0.05). Supplementation of MP, MOS or MOS+MP increased serum concentration of calcium in the broilers compared with control treatment (P < 0.05). Broiler chickens fed diets containing MOS+MP had lower numbers of E. coli, but higher count of Lactobacilli rather than control group (P < 0.05). Based on these results, it is concluded that dietary supplementation of MP in combination with MOS improved growth performance and intestinal microbial ecosystem of broiler chickens.